Kissinger recently completed their video for
Sydney Stone. The video is one of the more complicated stop-action videos I've ever seen an independent band attempt, and I just had to find out how they were able to pull it off. I caught up with Kissinger frontman,
Chopper, on IM to find out more about the video, their upcoming full length, and get a little perspective on what's REALLY happening in the vast world of independent music.
GlockMeAmadeus: How long did [the video] take to do?
Chopper: You don't want to know
GlockMeAmadeus: No, I really do
Chopper: From the very beginning, counting planning- 6 months. The script was a hundred pages. I had to script each shot 1400 shots. I feel like I've just completed the grand-daddy of all jigsaw puzzles.
GlockMeAmadeus: Wow are you sick of the song now?
Chopper: Sort of but not really. Most of the work I did on it didn't involve listening
GlockMeAmadeus: What gave you the idea to do this?
Chopper: I thought it would be cheap and easy... it was cheap. I got it half right. total budget, including camera, was under $500
GlockMeAmadeus: Well, its an awesome video man...I love it
Check it out HERE:
Sydney Stone Video GlockMeAmadeus: Tell me about the new album
Chopper: The album...is a masterpiece. Tremendous. you've heard of a band called led zeppelin?
GlockMeAmadeus: lead zeplings? hrmmm
Chopper: It doesn't matter. They're amateurs
GlockMeAmadeus: hahaha you know I am going to print this
Chopper: Oh god. Scratch all that. I was kidding anyway.
GlockMeAmadeus: hahahahahaha so lay it on me...for realsies
Chopper: I will say that it's our best work to date. It was three years in the making, and I think you can hear the sweat that went into it. (in a good way)
GlockMeAmadeus: When is it out?
Chopper: It will come out in February
GlockMeAmadeus: Where did you record and who did you record with?
Chopper: We recorded here in Austin. It was produced by Andy Sharp and Phillip Broussard Jr. Andy lives here in Austin. Phillip lives in LA and is a recording engineer for Rick Reuben.
GlockMeAmadeus: was recording this album different from any other album, or was it just another recording experience?
Chopper: very different. we spent a lot more time in preproduction. I spent more time writing and rewriting. Also spent much more time working on vocals. recorded some of them in LA, some in Austin, and some in Oregon. This album was more of a protools project, and didn't involve any tape, which was new for us. it provided a lot of flexibility
GlockMeAmadeus: you said 3 years in the making...how much time did you spend in the studio actually recording? were there any songs you recorded that didn't make the cut for the record? or did you know what was going to be there before you went in?
Chopper: we spent one month in the studio every day. there were lots of songs that didn't make it out of pre-production. a few that we tracked but never finished and a few that we finished that still didn't make the record. Sydney Stone is one of those. We just released it last month as a digital '3P'
BUY IT HERE
The album is written loosely around a story and Sydney Stone and Laramie (two of the songs on the 3P) didn't tie in with that story, and didn't fit in the collection. But we still liked them, and wanted to release them.
GlockMeAmadeus: ooo...so the new album is like a concept album?
Chopper: almost but not quite, you could listen to it and not notice it. it's not like a pink floyd record, but there was a narrative I was interested in weaving through several of the songs
GlockMeAmadeus: iiiiinteresting. so how was the digital experience? i know some artists when they make the transition aren't that into protools at first. like they think its cheating. what do you think?
Chopper: If you can afford not to use it, good for you. But for the rest of us, it's how to make a record
GlockMeAmadeus: do you have any recording equipment of your own?
Chopper: I've got protools on my laptop. I did a lot of work on the engineering side of this record. comped my own vocals, edited them etc.
GlockMeAmadeus: so is this album exactly how you wanted it?
Chopper: as close as we've come yet
GlockMeAmadeus: whats the plan now? touring japan, TRL...what?
Chopper: more videos, regional touring, then we'll see
GlockMeAmadeus: lets talk videos then...things have changed very much in music and Kissinger has been a part of all of it. Videos, while not on tv, are ALL OVER the internet
Chopper: it's true
GlockMeAmadeus: how important do you think it is for bands to make online videos...and do you think there's ever a chance to see this stuff on tv, or are those days through?
Chopper: We are lucky in Austin. We have a local music network called METV. We're hoping to get this video played there. But we don't hold any hopes of national TV. The budget required to even get it into people's hands is far more than we spent on the entire record 4 times over, I'd imagine. But the internet, that's another story. Our first video was scripted with the internet in mind, and that was 10 years ago so we're still very focused on creating cool stuff to look at while you're at work
GlockMeAmadeus: what was your first video?
Chopper:
Rock and Roll ******* GlockMeAmadeus: have you put all of your videos up on youtube?
Chopper: not quite all of them, but most. and a few that aren't 'official' videos. they're interesting video experiments put to Kissinger songs (hopefully interesting)
GlockMeAmadeus: hahaha do you enjoy making videos?
Chopper: yes, but it might be the one thing more tedious then making records... No, I take it back, it's not
GlockMeAmadeus: hahaha do you usually come up for the concepts of the videos? or do you work with more video people on it?
Chopper: On this past video, I worked with a longtime friend, Steve Willis, and my wife, Laura Cannon. The Rock and Roll ******* video was a collaboration with Chris Roldan (who played drums on 'Round Here and Mr. Jones in the band that preceded Counting Crows). I've also worked with Hip Williams on one of my favorite videos of ours.
GlockMeAmadeus: link me
Chopper:
Henrietta this one and the RAR ******* song don't play well on youtube. they're a little jerky, I'm not sure why. part of the imperfection of the web
GlockMeAmadeus: weird..is it up anywhere else?
Chopper:
it looks better here. the rock and roll ******* one, that is. I haven't uploaded the Henrietta video anywhere.
GlockMeAmadeus: wait....is the whole 'Henrietta' video just these old people walking? I mean, I get it...but what made you want to do that as the video concept?
Chopper: did you see that one guy has only one arm? and that the truck says "utopia insurance"
GlockMeAmadeus: I am watching it again
Chopper: again, it's more powerful on video... the main reason I haven't posted in on the web. when you see the expressions on the women's faces, it's heartbreaking. and did you see what they're wearing?! we just saw this at a truck stop in Waco. this is real.
GlockMeAmadeus: man, that's an intense video. For something so simple, it highlights the song beautifully. I hadn't seen that one before..good stuff
Chopper: Thank you.
GlockMeAmadeus: you guys are on the road all the time...how has it been taking time off to work on the new album?
Chopper: it's been great. now's not a good time for touring bands. gas at $3/gallon is completely prohibitive. you can't go out a make a name for yourself unless someone in the band has a trustfund or you already have a name.
GlockMeAmadeus: oh man, did you hear this new shit? labels are charging bands higher prices for the cds they resell at shows
Chopper: I hadn't heard, but it's not surprising.
GlockMeAmadeus: that and the new 360 deals...they're really scrambling
Chopper: what's a 360 deal?
GlockMeAmadeus: they get a piece of everything. merch, touring, everything
Chopper: damn
GlockMeAmadeus: so with all of the struggles bands face as a DIY, and no real hope for a future with a label, what do independent bands have to look forward to? what will continue to make it worth it?
Chopper: you can't put a price on the thrill from playing a song with other musicians. you create something you can never do by yourself that only exists as you're making it, then it's gone. that's what's worth it. the rest of time is just finding ways to make room for that experience. I've gotten real good at making my own lunches, working my ass off, and pinching my pennies. I'm in it for the long haul. I've stopped looking for the big pay off. I'm out of the lottery business.
GlockMeAmadeus: I dunno...like struggling to ACHIEVE something..like trying to get a deal or whatever, there is constant disappointment. Allowing yourself to think it's about to happen and then it doesn't...over and over again. Always feeling like you're right on the brink. It really must be great to get rid of that. More satisfying?
Chopper: If I were satisfied, I wouldn't be compelled to work for 4 months on a video. I am interested in taking control of my happiness. Having it all depend on someone else's opinion of your work is dangerous. and probably unhealthy.
GlockMeAmadeus: did you ever want a record deal?
Chopper: I'd have to see it first.
GlockMeAmadeus: hahaha
Chopper: I won't say that it wouldn't be fun to have lots more people exposed to our music.
GlockMeAmadeus: so when I first met you, it seemed like you guys were on the road ALL the time...and had been for years. How are things different for you guys now as it becomes more unreasonable to tour heavily and focus more on things like new media?
Chopper: It's very different. More hygenic, probably. I must admit, I miss the touring a lot. It's a blast to play every night, but these projects are cool in a totally different way and we probably can reach more people, we just can't have a drink with them while we're at it. and that's too bad because that's pretty important
GlockMeAmadeus: whats the online equivalent of 'having a drink with someone' and is there a way to digitally capture the feeling of performing a live gig and the connection it establishes...I mean is it an entirely new playing field, or is it just a new interpretation of what was already there GlockMeAmadeus: question mark
Chopper: Some friends and I have talked about that setting up a link from each member of our bands houses to a bar in Las Vegas, for instance and doing a "live" performance in las vegas from our respective homes. o3 in the bathroom, me in the kitchen etc. knowing it would be weird and out of synch. Those ideas, I think, are probably more fun to talk about than to actually experience, but who knows?
GlockMeAmadeus: hahaha great idea! I always thought streaming live performances, like 'online concerts...live' would be bad ass, but you're taking it to the next level
Chopper: In order for it to really work, we would need to be able to see the people at the bar in Las Vegas from our kitchen/bathroom etc. interaction is what makes live performance so special
GlockMeAmadeus: what do you think of myspace?
Chopper: ...how cool is it that we've had this conversation, and throughout it dropped
links. instead of describing Rock and Roll *******, or Henrietta, I just
showed you. even 10 years ago, that wasn't really possible. Download speeds were prohibitive. in 10 years, we can probably have our virtual concert. I've loved myspace, but I fear for it. The same reason it's been so great for bands could be the reason it becomes obsolete. The targeted marketing or whatever you want to call it that it allows for has been abused. No one wants to check an inbox full of unwanted porn, gift cards and 'crushes'.
GlockMeAmadeus: ok...so this isn't really a question, but I wanted to say I love your logo. And I really love that I see it in very random places. I have seen it all over Texas, here in Oklahoma City, I saw it in NYC, I saw it in a small town in Kansas... I mean your logo is everywhere. That's definitely something that cannot happen when bands only exist online. It's kind of a statement to how you've connected to people through touring
Chopper: we want it more places! I'll send you stickers and you can put them up in random place that you go
GlockMeAmadeus: haha, sounds good! well if I don't speak to you before the mag comes out, this will be the interview... thanks for indulging me!!
Chopper: my pleasure!
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Interview with Kissinger frontman, Chopper
